Marine puzzle or toy.



No. 628,520. Patented .luly H, I899.

J. F. BUTZ.

' MARINE PUZZLE 0R TOY.

(Application filed July 15, 1898.)

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No. 628,520. Patented July u, I899. .I. r. BUTZ.

MARINE PUZZLE 08 TOY.

(Application filed July 15, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. BUTZ, OF FORT \VORTI-I, TEXAS.

MARINE PUZZLE OR TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,520, dated July 11, 1899.

Application filed July 15 1898. Serial No. 685,997. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BUTZ, of Fort Worth, Tarrant county, Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Puzzles or Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tomarine puzzles or toys; and it consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to produce a toy or puzzle consisting, essentially, of a tank containing water, two fleets of miniature war vessels, representing, for instance, the Spanish fleet at Manila and the American fleet at the same place, and means whereby the former are sunk. through the instrumentality of one or more of the latter.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of apuzzleortoyembodyingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view, partly in side elevation and partly in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a part of the ship-supportin g partition or diaphragm.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a tank or receptacle of elliptic or any other preferred configuration, and 2 a horizontal partition or diaphragm therefor, said partition or diaphragm being supported in a horizontal position in the tank by the arms l formed with or secured to the tank proper by preference. The partition or diaphragm is provided, preferably near its center, with a plurality of openings 3, approximating the configuration of a vessel, and in order that an extended hearing may be provided I prefer that these openings shall be stamped in metal with mar-.

ginal flanges 4 projecting upwardly. The partition or diaphragm is also provided with an equal or greater number of small perforations 5. A flexible plate 6 extends at right angles to each opening 3, which in this instance equal the number of Spanish ships engaged in the naval engagement off Manila, and said plates at their outer ends preferably are secured to the underside of the partition" or diaphragm by means of rivets 7 or their equivalents and at their inner ends, as at 8,-

underlap slightly the openings 3, being supported in such position bymeans of the guideclips 9, secured to the under side of the partition.

10 designates a number of vessels representing the Spanish fleet, fitting in the flanged openings 3 and initially resting upon the resilient plates 6.

11 designates a number of vessels representing the American fleet, and said vessels rest squarely upon the partition or diaphragm 2, and at least one of them is provided with a Vertical pin 12, extending downward through a registering opening 5, care being taken that the partition or diaphragm is provided with at least one opening vertically over each resilient plate 6.

When the vessels are arranged as described, Water is poured into the tank until the partition is completely submerged, and this water maybe tinted blue or green to make the representation appear more natural and also to render it difficult or impossible to locate the perforations of the partition.

.In order to do as Dewey didthat is, to sink the Spanish fieetone of the American vessels, provided with a depending pin 12, is grasped, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and sheeperator seeks to locate with the pin 12 the opening 5 registering with the resilient plates 6 of a particular Spanish vessel. When this is accomplished, the operator presses down upon said plate, as indicated in Fig. 3, and by bending the same withdraws or slides its free end from under the vessel referred to, which, of course, drops down through the opening 3. In most instances the vessel will sink down in an upright position, leaving exposed to View only the mast, but sometimes the vessel will sink with bow or stern projecting up through'the opening and above the surface of thewater. As it would add to the realistic effect to have the vessels sink in different positions, it can be accomplished by simply permitting the vessels more play in the openings 3, or it may be accomplished by increasing the weight of one end of the vessel. This, however, is immaterial. To sink the remaining vessels, the operation as described is repeated. In Fig. 5 six of the out necessitating the removal of the partition or of the water; but in order to remove the latter conveniently itis provided with a draincock 13 of the type shown or of any other suitable or preferred type.

While I have illustrated and described only a single method of supporting the vessels and of withdrawing the supporting-plates from beneath the same, it is to be understood that the same object may be accomplished in many different ways without departing from the essential spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A puzzle or toy, comprising a tank provided with a substantially horizontal partition or diaphragm having an opening,a suitably-supported resilient plate underlying said 0 2. A puzzle or to.y, con1prising a tank provided With a partition or diaphragm containing small openings and relativelylarge openings, resilient plates arranged at the under side of said partition or diaphragm, having their outer ends anchored or secured immovably and theirinner ends occupying positions in alinement with the large openings, guideclips embracing said plates near their free ends to insure a sliding longitudinal movement thereof, and a ship provided with a depending pin or stem for insertion through one or another ofthe small openings and engagement with the plate below in order to bend the same and thereby Withdraw it from alinement with the corresponding large opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. BUTZ. \Vitnesses:

M. R. REMLEY, F. S. TI-IRASHER. 

